


Heirs & the Breath of Life

by AKnightOfAGoodKing



Category: Aquaman (2018)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Brotherly Love, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family, Fluff and Angst, Humor, Insecurity, Mentions of Orvax, Protectiveness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-05
Updated: 2019-01-05
Packaged: 2019-09-29 05:46:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17197655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AKnightOfAGoodKing/pseuds/AKnightOfAGoodKing
Summary: Excerpt:[“One of his favorites is Sappho, the Greek poetess. And Seamourn, the fifth century Atlantean who lived during the rule of Queen Aurora. Why the sudden interest, Arthur? Are you actually getting interested in your learning, or is this about your brother?”Arthur smiled, his mentor knowing him well. “It's the first time we actually have the chance to know each other. I finally get to be the older brother, and I think I can do it right. Orm's not a bad guy, just misguided and kinda lonely from what I've been hearing. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten, you know? Lilo and Stitch?”]The main story line ofWhat Should've Been





	Heirs & the Breath of Life

**Author's Note:**

> **[DO NOT REPOST/REUSE MY WORK(S) WITHOUT MY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND PERMISSION]**
> 
> I really like this movie . . . and Orm. This happened to get super long . . . Can't promise I know what I was doing, but I'm glad I did it.

When Arthur defeated Orm and became king of Atlantis, he never knew how much he'd fall into it. He didn't know he much much he'd fall into being a brother. Like, really, he'd never grown up with any sibling relationships, but like ships to a lighthouse, it came to him, the heavy rainfall of responsibilities pounding on his shoulders.

But it wasn't for, like, fights or anything. No, after all the crap he went through, he knew Orm could defend himself (but if he needed a little help, then, of course), but Arthur, after becoming king, only really started to sort of understand why his baby brother was such a dick. It was a defense mechanism in a way, against dealing with the "death" of their mother, growing up with a stern and negligent father, and fearing for the fate of their people and their home.

It started after Arthur was officially crowned, and after much talk with Mera, Vulko, and Atlanna—his girlfriend, his mentor, and his mother—and a few other lower ranked advisors about what to do as proper punishment for Orm. It was decided that Orm would keep his life—"Atlantis can kiss my ass if it thinks it can execute another of my family again," Arthur said firmly to the advisors who looked away from Atlanna—and be put into service of humility under the crown. It was Vulko's idea, which Arthur almost immediately agreed on had it not come with the conditions that this decree must be made public in an official ceremony, that Orm must swear undying loyalty and fidelity to Arthur, and that he would be marked with a collar.

Arthur protested mostly against the marking; he did not like the idea nor did he wanted to participate in the act of slavery. His mother protested out of concern for her son, momentarily forgetting her place as royal advisor.

"Atlantis may be changing under your rule, your majesty," Vulko acknowledged, frowning grimly, "but you cannot change the ways of the people overnight. For all the deaths Prince Orm has caused, many call for his head, and their anger won't cease until they feel like Orm has been punished rightfully. The people must see it for themselves. The collar doesn't make him a slave, but it will be a reminder of what he has done, and the people will know. That way we can save your brother and keep him at your side. He knows the waters, the people, and its histories well."

Arthur still disagreed, but the look Mera gave him, asking for patience and to do it their way for once, made him concede at once because even he knew Vulko was right (as always).

A week later, the ceremony was held, the people of Atlantis invited to witness. Orm, dressed in a more toned down purple—lilac, Arthur figured—and in a more robe-like fashion, walked down the great big and long throne room like a human, no floating or super speed. Having only one shoulder pads on his right, chainmail, and gauntlets as his only military accessories, Orm held his head up, ignoring the stares and the silence that followed as he came up to his brother, dressed in the colors and costume of King Atlan.

Without prompt, Orm got on one knee, lowered his head, and proclaimed, "I, Orm of the House Marius, vow my undying loyalty and fidelity to Arthur, the rightful king of Atlantis, and do so swear to give to him, and the crown, unquestioned service and wise council. By all the lives that live in the seven sea, hold me to this bond until I meet my end in death."

Arthur held back a sigh, never asking for that last part, and he looked over to Vulko who was holding the collar. It was a thin circlet, made of Atlantean steel, plain silver with only the symbol of Atlantis engraved right in the middle. The older man looked regretful as he handed it to Arthur, who was regretful he had agreed to this in the end.

Gritting his teeth, Arthur placed the collar around his brother's neck and clicked it into place. It could not be removed without him.

"I, Arthur, king of Atlantis, hold you, Orm, prince of Atlantis, and my brother, to this vow," Arthur replied, his voice carrying loudly. "If you go back on these words, you will meet your end in death. May this be a lesson to you, and to all, of the consequences of defying me."

There wasn't really more to be said, not that Arthur would want to keep going, so thankfully, Vulko clapped, drawing the crowd to the same to end the ceremony in some sort of victorious atmosphere. Their applause thundered in the throne room and continued as Orm left, walking back out the same way he came in, head held high and the collar for all to see.

Arthur nearly missed the way Orm's blue eyes were turning pink had it not been for Orm slipping away from him when he tried to help his brother up. Their mother spent the night with Orm in his chosen private quarters on the other side of the castle.

The next morning, dressed in fine, thin flowy robes, looking more like a philosopher than the military leader he was just less than a month ago, Orm sat beside Vulko at Arthur's left, Mera and his mother to his right. Arthur couldn't help but grin, feeling pretty confident because his council was complete.

 

 

 

Everything was pretty alright from then on, Arthur thought only two months later. He wasn't just spearheaded into royal duties but had the guidance of his council.

Vulko and Mera were educating him little by little on Altantean culture and everything else, the former overseeing much of the authority for now until he could give control back to Arthur one by one. And Arthur was falling in love with Mera more each day, the way her hair flowed up in the water and how patient she was when she taught him how to control his powers.

His mother attended court regularly, always heading home to the lighthouse for the most part. She was going to attend less and less eventually, but that was only until Arthur could take on all the duties a king had but would always be there if her son called her. Arthur was happy his parents had each other again, and he came home whenever he could. And Atlantis, they weren't as hesistant to his claim as Arthur expected, Atlan's trident and his own strength enough to win their hearts.

Orm, on the hand, had kind of closed himself off from others, only really speaking when spoken to. He addressed people by their titles—“Princess,” “Vizier Vulko,” “my king"—kept himself pretty recluse, only showing that passion he had when Arthur first met him during discussion that needed debate.

The only person Orm showed any sorts of affection was their mother, who was the only person he even smiled to and who he let dote on, even though he hadn't been a child in years. Arthur was a little envious of the both of them, Orm for understood his mother by having grown up in the royal courts and his mother for being the one Orm allowed to get close to.

Arthur, when he learned that he had a brother, had imagined many times before what kind of brother he had, imagined what kind of older brother he'd be. He was the older one, the one the little brother would come to talk and have fun with. Arthur kinda wanted that, now that he had his whole family back and more. He just didn't know what to do about it.

So he asked Mera about it in her private bedroom. Between the two of them, she knew Orm better, being once his betrothal. (Well, everyone else in Atlanis knew Orm better than he did at this point.)

“How do I get Orm to be nice to me?” Arthur asked almost pathetically, but he felt like he had to walk like he was on thin ice about his brother.

Mera raised an eyebrow at him. “Nice to you?” she repeated, needing more information.

“Well, he's my brother, and since I was a kid, I've always wanted to go out and have fun with him. But he doesn't seem like he wants anything to do with me.”

“He doesn't want anything to do with anyone these days, except for Queen Atlanna. Though I know he and Vulko talk occasionally about literature and politics like they always do. He's not the kind to 'go out and have fun,’ not the way his father forced him onto the kingly path. His father kept him pretty distant from others our age. He was raised to be a warrior and to lead."

Arthur groaned, not having left square one yet. But maybe there were other ways to get to his brother. “Do you two, I don't know, dislike each other?”

Mera looked the other way, thinking. “I don't hate him if that's what you mean. I've known him since we were children, so at one point in our lives, we were friends. Otherwise, he has done nothing treasonous since he yielded the throne, or said a word against you. He's been quiet, accepting almost.”

“So would it be too much to ask you to be friends with him again? I'm pretty sure he's lonely, even though he doesn't show it. Kids do it all the time, they never really learn how to talk to people. They just need someone to help them out.”

“You know Orm is a grown man, right?”

Arthur shrugged. “Some people never had that someone to help them out. They never grow out of it, but it's never too late to try, you know?”

Mera looked back him, her bright eyes searching his. “I'm glad you want to try,” she replied. “There are not many would do in Atlantis, to be so kind. I'll do it, because we were friends once.”

Arthur was a little floor. Partly because Mera just said she'd try to be friends with the guy that tried to kill her, and the other part because that meant she'd actually be _talking_ to Orm. If there was one thing Arthur knew about humans, it was that they sucked at communication. Maybe this is an Atlantean thing, he could get used to that. Or it could be a Mera thing, and that was awesome.

“Cool, cool,” Arthur picked himself back up, trying to seem uninterested. “Whatcha gonna talk to him about?”

Mera hummed, grabbing a comb from her cabinet. She looked at herself in the large mirror. “I suppose we can bond over our hair,” she said, which sounded kind of lame, but Arthur didn't know anything about Atlanteans and their hair.

“Atlanteans usually keep their hair loose or tied down,” she explained, catching his questioning expression. "It's rare to invite others to care for it, like combing and braiding, if it wasn't their occupation. It's trusting someone else to take care of what the water can. I remember Orm used to have long hair, until he didn't.”

Arthur perked up, noting that like he noted things like Mera liked opal stones and his dad preferred The Doors over The Rolling Stones. “So you're going to ask him to comb your hair?”

Mera hummed. “Yes.”

The half human wondered about that. “You know you can kick his ass if he does something, right?”

She let out a snort before reaching up to kiss him.

 

 

 

For a few days, Arthur forgot about the conversation, working on courtly matters that wasn't much, but Vulko, acting in the nature of a teacher, assigned him to translate a human novel of any language into Atlantean. Though they spoke English in vernacular, it was only really in the capital and many of the older and the official documents were written in script, originating from the Greek alphabet. It was good practice, the old advisor said with perhaps a little bit of a grin.

Arthur didn't appreciate feeling like he was back in middle school, but he kept his complaints to himself, glad that they used advanced keyboards instead of pencil and paper. At least he could pretend he was in college.

“Do you and Orm still talk?” he asked, multitasking reading and conversing. “You know, like, share hobbies or something like that? You knew Orm since he was a kid, right?”

Vulko, like Mera, raised a curious eyebrow, slapping Arthur's hand away in order to correct the king on a word, which was unnecessary by the way.

“I didn't have as much to do with Prince Orm's childhood as I did yours,” the raven said, “his father, Orvax, saw to that, knowing I was, and always will be, loyal to your mother. But your brother is still the queen's son, so when I could, between my training and his tutoring, I spoke to him about literature. Orm likes poetry best, and has the habit of reciting them. You can almost figure out his mood if you catch him muttering one to himself.”

"Alright,” Arthur said, noting that. Diana also liked poetry, and Barry too. Bruce liked action mysteries movies while Clark was a romantic but also loved watching football games with Victor. “Got anything to point me to?”

“One of his favorites is Sappho, the Greek poetess. And Seamourn, the fifth century Atlantean who lived during the rule of Queen Aurora. Why the sudden interest, Arthur? Are you actually getting interested in your learning, or is this about your brother?”

Arthur smiled, his mentor knowing him well. “It's the first time we actually have the chance to know each other. I finally get to be the older brother, and I think I can do it right. Orm's not a bad guy, just misguided and kinda lonely from what I've been hearing. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten, you know? Lilo and Stitch?”

Vulko slapped Arthur's hand again, this time the king managing to dodge it much to his satisfaction. “No, not really, but nonetheless, I'm glad. The late king would've never done that.”

“Oh, good, I'm not a real fan of that guy, first for trying to execute my mom and second for emotionally stunting Orm. If I do anything that he would do, hit me until I change my mind.”

The raven chuckled. “I will, my king.”

“And Mera said that too, about being glad about me wanting to be Orm's brother.”

“The princess is unconventional to our people's standards, and I still remember Orm as a young boy.”

Arthur paused, his translating stopped in thought. “Mera also said he used to have long hair back then, until he didn't?”

Vulko frowned, as if that brought back bad memories. “Orm grew his hair out after your mother was sent to the Trench. Orvax had yellow hair too, but the prince has that tint of yellow like sunlight coming down through shallow waters that your mother had when she was young. I thought he grew it to honor her until one day, he greeted his father with his hair done in the braidings your mother wore.

“As brutal as Orm's father was, Orvax did cared about his betrothal as it was his duty as a husband. When he found out about you, her halfling son, the queen begged him not to come after you, and unexpectedly, he complied, leaving her to the Trenches out of jealousy and betrayal. He was never really the same after that, and as painful as losing his mother was, Orm didn't want to lose his father too. The prince thought that he could start fixing that wound in his father's heart.”

“And it didn't work,” Arthur concluded on his own, clenching his hand into a fist.

Vulko nodded his head once. “His father hit him and cut off his hair in front of his guards. I heard about the incident later on and found Orm in his closet. He was trying to cut off the uneven strands by himself. He hadn't let it grow past his shoulders ever since.”

Arthur wished he'd been there, to find Orm in that closet and tell his little brother that everything was okay and that what he did was sweet and good.

“Tears have become one of the oddest things about humans to an Atlantean,” Vulko said thoughtfully, “water is vital to all life on this earth, and yet our bodies weep, even when water is all around us here. When we cry, the sea washes them away. Finding your brother that day, so young and hurt, I regretted that I couldn't wipe his tears away.”

The king thanked his mentor, and silently, he went back to translating.

 

 

 

It was about a week later when Mera showed up to the council with two locks of red hair braided neatly at the sides of her beautiful face.

“Mera,” Atlanna said, smiling, “those braids are so well done.”

The Xebel woman smiled back. “Thank you, Queen Atlanna,” she replied, “Orm was kind enough to do them for me.”

The queen mother looked at her youngest son, smiling even more warmly. “And you did them the way I taught you all those years ago.”

Orm nodded. “I can recall everything you taught me,” he simply said. “I just did everything you did.”

That made Atlanna light up so much more, and Arthur did his best to hide his pride, trying not to smile smugly. Vulko caught him, of course, but the old man smiled knowingly.

After that, Arthur got some more updates on his brother through Mera, who had began inviting Orm to help her with her hair and other leisurely activities, such as combat training and gardening in the royal garden. Arthur wasn't sure what Mera had said to Orm, but slowly but surely, his little brother had become much more relaxed, no longer so estranged to his former betrothal. It felt like the matter was forgotten, maybe even forgiven.

Mera told him about it several weeks later when Arthur brought her home to the lighthouse that night. They were walking the beach side, having some time to themselves as his mom and dad enjoying the married life.

“He apologized,” she said, her bare feet stepping lightly on the sand, “after the first few times I asked him to help me with my hair. We weren't talking about anything in particular, and he said it first. He said he was sorry that he didn't make me happy when we were betrothed. He wouldn't wish that kind of marriage to even his enemies.”

Arthur smiled small at that. “Mom never stopped loving Dad all these years,” he said. “What did you say?”

“I asked him if I could comb his hair. He allowed me.”

Arthur's smile widened, so thankful that Mera was so amazing. Now if only he could figure out a way to get close to Orm, then everything will be a-okay, even better actually. He'd ask his mom about that.

“Come on, let's grab a few drinks,” he said, taking her by the hand. 

The next morning after breakfast, before he and Mera left to go back to Atlantis, Arthur asked his mom, “Do you remember what made Orm laugh when he was a kid?”

Atlanna's eyes widened slightly, caught off guard by that question, but her expression melted, her eyes soft with affectionately and adoration. “I thought about my husband and my sons every day I didn't see them,” she said, “I carved every memory I had into my soul. It was the only way I was able to find peace, lost and alone.”

Arthur wished he was there a lot time ago. He had the trident now, he could've saved her. “Me too,” he said, even though he was only three when she had to leave. “I missed you so much.”

“And I missed you, Arthur,” she replied gently. “You asked about Orm?”

“Yeah. I want to be his brother, Mom, but I don't know him at all.”

Atlanna pulled her eldest for a hug, kissing his face. “I always thought my sons would love each other. He was ten when I was sent the the Trenches, things might have changed.”

“That's fine. What little helps. It's all I have to work on since he's kinda not talking to me on purpose.”

“Well, he loved rushing through the hallways, even though his father forbid him to, but he did it anyways. When I found out, I didn't tell his father of course. Instead, I started catching him whenever I spotted him. You should have heard how delightfully he laughed, and I laughed too. It was our little secret. I wonder if he still remembers.”

Arthur mused on that. “Catching him in the hallways, huh?” he asked to himself, smirking which his mom caught.

“Don't you go being a nuisance to your brother now, Arthur,” she said, though a laugh broke out. “He's trying very hard to be make up for everything he's done.”

Arthur let out a scoff, pretending to be offended. He placed a hand on his chest. “Me, a nuisance,” he played innocently, “ _never_.”

Atlanna let out a full laugh this time. “My sons,” she said with pride.

After that, Arthur kept an eye out for his little brother, hopefully alone and unaware that he was waiting for the right time, but he couldn't get the chance to get his plan into action until a few weeks later. He and Mera were floating down the halls and Arthur spotted his brother coming their way with a tablet in hand, looking over documents in order to advise on the next best course of action.

Arthur stopped his girlfriend and advisor, putting a finger up to his lips which were set in a grin, and Mera watched curiously. Waiting a few seconds longer so that Orm would get closer, Arthur kicked himself into full speed, arms out to catch his brother unawares.

Unfortunately for Arthur, he didn't consider the fact that Orm had been trained for years so he sensed Arthur’s presence and dodged his king rather easily, moving to the side to miss Arthur by a foot. The half human stopped himself from barrelling into the castle wall.

The blond frowned, perhaps disapproval mixed with confusion. “Have I done something, my king?” Orm addressed formally. He lowered his head, tablet still in hand.

“No,” Arthur replied immediately, floating back up. “I was trying to catch you by surprise, that's all. Now I'm just trying to catch you.”

Orm looked up and gave his brother a questioning look, as if such a situation was up for debate though he stayed silent. “My king, I don't kn—”

Arthur kicked himself off again, not letting Orm finish his sentence, and when his brother evaded him this time, the older man turned himself quickly, reaching to grab Orm by the arm. The momentum threw them up in the water, Arthur clutching Orm from behind with his arms trapping Orm's arms down.

Arthur laughed triumphantly, holding his brother up just a little. The tablet fell to the floor.

“My king!” Orm shouted, getting pink in the face but not struggling out of Arthur's hold. “What are you doing!”

“Playing a trick on you, haven't you ever been caught before?” Arthur asked. “I'll let you go if you call me by my name.”

“That's not proper. I'm your subject, it's disrespectful to be so informal.”

“So are you forgetting that you're my brother too?”

The blond didn't reply, not moving and almost sagging.

Arthur resisted the urge to sigh, thinking he had to try again, but his eyes caught on some exposed skin on Orm's shoulder. Now that he wasn't constantly wearing armor, he was opened to being _tickled_.

Not yet giving up, Arthur placed his chin directly between Orm's neck and shoulder, and he began to press against that spot, shaking his head to add more movement.

Orm let out a scandalous gasp, a struggle livening up in him. “Wait, what are yo—” His sentence cut short by _giggles_ , which vibrated sharply in the water, as he tried to resist, pressing his neck and shoulder to push Arthur away which only failed as the older one pressed just a tad harder. It only made him giggle more.

Arthur laughed, having more control of the sounds he made. He never thought that a grown man could be adorable, but there Orm was, flailing terribly to be released as his older brother gave him no mercy. Arthur had the advantage, and he wasn't going to give it up so easily, especially when he heard Mera's laughing behind them.

He stopped at some point, but by then, Orm's face had flushed red, panting deeply with his lungs, unable to stop the last of his giggles from escaping.

“Give up yet?” Arthur asked, chuckling lowly.

“Y— Yes,” Orm said shakingly. “Yes, I give up, please let me go. I'll suffocate from not being able to breath.”

“You forgot the magic word.”

Orm looked confused. “Magic word? _Lorem_?” A door down the hall burst open, to which Mera let out a snort, devolving into more laughter.

“No, _idiot_. My name. Say my name.”

“But my king, I said it was improper. I'm not allowed to call you—”

“Well, I want you to. Unless you want to go through that again.” Arthur added a little bit of pressure to his chin again, smiling slyly.

“No, no!” Orm shouted, having enough of being tickled today. “Fine, I'll say it. I give up, please let me go, _Arthur_.”

The younger man said his name so carefully, hesitantly, but honestly, that was enough because Arthur was pretty sure he loved his brother. No, he was certain. It was weird how that happens, how family just gets you from A to B in an instant. Maybe they didn't know each other like they should've, but they were brothers.

Arthur loosened his hold on Orm, but he wasn't ready to let go yet. So he turned his brother around, pulling Orm by his blond hair to press towards him so that they could touch forehead to forehead and nose to nose. This was a ritual he did with his dad, the _hongi_ , a Maōri traditional passed on to him. It was the sharing of breath, to welcome and to recognize the other as one of their own. It was a greeting, saying hello for the first time as brothers. Arthur was ecstatic to share this with someone who had become, and probably had always been, so dear to him.

“Better luck next time, _Orm,_ ” the king said, finally letting go.

Orm was befuddled by that gesture, touching his nose. Then he narrowed his eyes. “There's going to be a next time?” he asked, almost horrified. He blinked with wide eyes.

“Of course. Gotta keep you on your toes.”

“ _Where_?” Oh, yeah, right, they floated because they were in water. Their toes don't touch the floor.

“He hasn't gotten entirely used to living in Atlantis yet,” Mera spoke up, smiling. “Orm, let me fix your hair. There's loose strands floating.”

Orm looked to her, and nodded. “Yes, of course,” he replied, tilting his head down, and she came up behind him. “Thank you, Princess Mera.”

Mera hummed in acknowledgement as she untied his hair, gathered all the loose strands, and tied them back up again. It was a simple thing, but Arthur saw how fluid and natural it was, and how his brother's eyes softened at the touch.

“We'll see you later, brother,” Arthur said, picking up the tablet and handing it back to Orm when his hair was fixed. “Don't spend too long working, or you might forget how to float upright.”

Orm's lips twitched, nodding. “I suppose there's nothing to worry much about for now,” he offered. “A walk in the garden tonight wouldn't be so bad.”

Arthur perked up. “You mind if I joined you then?”

“I— I think I'd like that, Arthur,” Orm replied slowly, carefully. “Just come by whenever you feel like it, I'll be in my quarters.”

Arthur smiled brightly, waving his brother off as he and Mera floated away, and there was a bounce in his movement, feeling genuinely excited. Mera, with a loving eyes, pressed a kiss on the back on his hand, quietly happy for him.

Later that night, Arthur went to Orm's quarters, and they hung out for the first time, which was mostly on the barely talking to each other side but they walked together side-by-side, not having to wait or to catch up to the other. Arthur learned that Orm actually liked to have his feet on the stone of the garden, walking like a  human. Arthur slipped in that he'd been reading some ancient poetry, and Orm lit up in interest, even giving a small smile.

 

 

 

Somehow, after that night, they almost too easily into being brothers. Maybe it was because Arthur always wanted to be one, and Orm never forgot that he was one. It made Orm more comfortable, being in the castle and in the council, and everyone noticed, from Vulko and their mother to the guardsmen. Arthur had overheard some of them saying that they were glad to see a confident and relaxed Orm again, having been with him since the death of his father. Perhaps Atlantis wasn't as forgiving as Arthur would like, but Atlanteans did hold their loyalties. Arthur reassigned those guardsmen to his brother without mentioning why, but Vulko did raised an eyebrow, recognizing the names.

The king just shrugged.

Everything was alright since, and Arthur could finally see himself as a good king of Atlantis. At some point, he _wanted_ to be king. He had his family, he had his council, he had his friends, he had his homes, he had the love of his life. It was going pretty good, Arthur thought.

 

 

 

At about six months since taking the throne, Arthur asked his father if he could invited Vulko and Orm to dinner the next time he came home, and Mera of course.

Tom Curry was flabbergasted because he didn't think that Orm would want to come visit the surface world, much less to have dinner with the man who was the reason his mother had been shamed and sent to die.

“He's not going to agree to come just to kill me, right?” the older man asked, putting down his empty glass of beer first like always.

Arthur laughed, not believing his father was still beating him. “I don't think so,” he replied. “It's probably his first time on land, talking to an actual human. I want to show him that we're not all that bad, and I think he could really meet someone like you, Dad. I want to my family to know each other, you might even like him. I can't promise he won't be a little bit of a dick, but if Mom's there, he'll keep his mouth shut. I think. We'll leave our tridents at the castle.”

Tom chuckled, signalling for another glass. “Well, if you think so, Arthur. Your mom would like it, and I haven't seen Vulko in a while. Come by whenever like you always do and I'll have extra servings in stock for dinner. If you tell your mom beforehand, she'll whip up something special, probably your favorites.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

It took him, Mera, Vulko, _and_ Atlanna to convince Orm to come to dinner, and two weeks later, the younger one was still hesitant to come up to the surface, stalling in his room with the excuse of doing his hair which had grown a bit past his shoulders. It was one of his personal guardsmen who made sure that Orm was deliver safely to everyone, carrying the prince on his shoulder against the younger man's will. Arthur had never seen Orm so flustered before. (Maybe he should have someone carry his brother into court every day just to see that look on his face.)

“Baptiste, you're dismissed,” Orm said, looking disapproving. “I never want to see your face again.”

“But your highness, your brother said to escort you by any means necessary if you refused to come,” the guardsman replied, his expression very serious. He was one of the older guardsmen, one who'd been around since before Orvax's death Arthur learned just a while ago. “Are you saying that I should've disobeyed our king?”

Orm almost glared at Arthur, who just gave him a smile as if he had nothing to do with this.

“Come now, my son,” Atlanna said, soothing the prince's mood. “Tom will be happy to see all of us. I look forward to you meeting him.”

“Yes, Mother,” Orm replied, though he looked like he wanted to say something else.

They arrived at the lighthouse half an hour later, jumping onto the small dock one by one. Atlanna went up first, happy to come home to her husband, and Vulko followed dutifully. Arthur lagged behind behind because he wanted to make sure Orm didn't just ditched them, pushing his brother up the surface. Mera caught the youngest of them all, Orm taking big gasps of air, not yet completely adjusted to the surface world.

"Bigger gulps and you'll be a fish, Orm,” Arthur joked, patting his brother on the back hard. “You need me to carry you, baby brother?”

Orm, this time, glared at Arthur, trying to calm his coughs. “ _No,_ ” he said firmly, pushing himself to stand up by himself. He gave Mera a nod of gratitude. “I'm fine.”

“That's good, you'll get used it soon,” the redhead said, heading towards the house. “Is there extra clothing for Orm to change into, Arthur?”

“Extra clothing?” Orm repeated, not knowing that it was weird to eat a humble dinner in soaked one piece outfits made of the finest materials. A shirt and shorts were fine enough at the Curry residence.

“You'll get everything wet,” Arthur explained, gently pushing his brother with a hand on his back. “It's rude. Besides, you'll get cold.”

“Atlanteans are resistant to the cold.”

“Yeah, but it doesn't mean it's nice.”

When they entered the house, Tom stuck his head out of the kitchen, barely beginning to cook dinner while the rest went to change into dry clothing. He smiled at the sight of Arthur, stepping out with open arms. “Welcome home, Arthur,” the older man said, hugging his son, and they pressed their foreheads and noses together before parting.

“Hey, Dad,” Arthur replied, and then he gestured to his brother. “Dad, this is Orm. Orm, this is Dad.”

Tom let out a snort, offering a hand out to Orm. “Tom Curry,” he filled in, “it's nice to finally meet you, Orm. Really.”

Orm hesitated a moment, glancing over to Arthur for some help. The king gave him a stern look, silently telling him to say something back. “Thank you letting me into your home, Mister Curry,” the Atlantean said politely, but not taking Tom's hand. “I look forward to the dinner.”

“Just Tom, please.”

Orm paused, but then he nodded. “Okay, _Tom._ " 

Tom smiled, turning back to the kitchen. “Go change, you'll have to share some of your things, Arthur, until we have the chance to go buy some clothes for Orm. Dinner will be ready in less than an hour.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Arthur said, patting Orm by the shoulder. “Come on, try not to drip too much.”

They headed upstairs quietly, Arthur taking Orm to his childhood bedroom. Orm looked closely at the seashell wallpaper, raising an eyebrow at the single twin size bed. He took in all the furniture and trinkets laid around the room, looking curious and a stranger.

“Here,” Arthur said, taking out a towel in one of his drawers and throwing it at his brother, “dry yourself off.”

Orm looked like he wasn't sure what to do, not much to Arthur's surprise, so the half human had to demonstrate, taking the towel back and putting it over Orm. Then, taking the blond by the head, Arthur began frantically drying his brother off, laughing because it was like he was giving his brother a noogie.

“Stop it, you're being insufferable, Arthur!” Orm demanded, pulling away.

“Just showing you the ropes, Orm,” Arthur replied, giving the towel back. “Just do like so and you're dry. I'll leave some clothes on the bed.” He turned to pick out the smaller sizes he had and threw them on his bed. He picked up another towel and started drying himself off.

Orm did the same, though not as rough and quick as Arthur did. He got the fundamentals down. “What did your father mean when he said 'when we get the chance’?” he asked. “Why did he say 'we’?”

“I guess Dad thinks you'll be coming back. He probably hopes you do.”

“But why? I did try to kill you, and the princess.”

“But you're not anymore, right? That was then, and this is now. Dad loves Mom, and he loves me. He's willing to try and see past the shit you've done. People change, Orm, and he's the kind of guy who's willing to help. He wants to like you, so give him the chance.”

Orm looked thoughtful but said nothing in return, stripping out of his wet clothes and putting on the ones left out for him. It was a ratty t-shirt and worn out jeans, and it didn't look too bad, maybe a little baggy and longer by an inch or so, but he'll grow into it. Hand-me-downs, you know?

“I am a full grown adult, Arthur,” Orm said, deadpanning. Oh, shit, did Arthur say that out loud? “Yes, you did.”

Oh. Whale, then . . .

Orm groaned.

That night, dinner was amazing, the food delicious and the company fine and good. Arthur couldn't ask for better way to spend his time, with his family and in his home. He was having a lot of fun flirting with Mera in between the bickering between Orm and Vulko about one of the books they'd read, Atlanna explaining some context to Tom so he could keep up with at least why they were disagreeing with each other. Vulko and Tom shared stories like they always did too. Arthur made funny faces at his brother when their eyes met, which Orm gracefully ignored so Arthur had to turn his attention to his father who, like the supportive man that he was, burst out laughing every time. Mera joined in, targeting Atlanna who laughed too.

By the end of the night, everyone was full. Vulko was going to take his leave, and so was Orm, Arthur and Mera staying the night as they always did when they came to the lighthouse.

"Don't be a stranger, Orm," Tom said to the youngest Atlantean quietly, "you're welcomed back here anytime. I'd love it if you came for dinner again."

Orm nodded, offering his hand first this time. "Thank you, Tom," he replied gently. "I will."

The fisherman smiled, returning the gesture.

And Orm did come back, not on his own but he never turned down Arthur's invitation to go which occurred once every other week. Slowly, he got used to the surface world, and Arthur and Tom would take Orm into town, buying him a couple changes of clothes and bedsheets. There were two guests room at the lighthouse, and Tom gave one of them to Orm as his own bedroom once he finally accepted the offer to stay the night. Sleeping on a mattress was a new experience for the prince, and so was human breakfast, which on that morning was cereal in front of the TV. Tom and Orm started having small conversations together, the older man teaching the younger about humans. 

Arthur took in these moments, happy moments that seem to last forever.

 

 

 

It was the celebration of General Octavius that threatened to take this from Arthur a few peaceful months later when high-borns from near and far arrived to Atlantis for festivities that occurred only every seven years. It was seven years because that was how long it took for Octavius to defeat the seven headed sea dragon, and the people celebrated for a week, which was how long it took for him to die from the sea dragon's final breath.

Arthur was told about this weeks in advance and had met several of the high-borns arriving, kinda nervous that he might fuck up old relations, but Vulko assured him that there were revered members of the capital trained from a young age to lead the processions. The general was the people's hero, not the king's. The king was his own. Arthur just had to make sure everyone was acknowledged and had a place to stay during the celebration, either offering a part of the castle or securing housing on royal property. That wasn't difficult to do, except he did have to memorize faces and not mistake identities.  

The high-borns, Fishermen to the Brine people to other of the smaller colonies in between, arrived in Mass, bringing close family and even extended ones. Other people, the more common ones, arrived too, but they were always coming and going, though many more were tourists now. Arthur could only guess how much wealth each and every one of them were bringing into the city.

Many of the high-born guests were humble and accepted livings on royal property around the city, but Arthur had the opportunity to have King Nereus stay at the castle. Mera was happy to see her father again, having become Xebel's diplomat.

That same day, the House Marius arrived, led by a woman with dark, black hair despite her old age, held up tightly in a bun. She wore plain, silver attire, and so did her children and grandchildren who all shared some feature of hers, like marking her claim on them. Some had the same dark, black hair, others her round green eye, cheekbones, lips, or nose. It was obvious that they were all the descendants of Lady Undine, no spouses or in-laws in sight.

“King Arthur,” she greeted with a bow, and behind her, her daughters and eleven grandchildren did the same, synchronized like a well oiled machine. It was uncanny to see, especially since the youngest was a pre-teen girl with short red hair less than half his size.

Arthur didn't know that his brother's paternal family was this big. He didn't even know that they even existed, learning later from King Nereus that they were a militaristic family who lived in their own secluded community with glory and honor attributed to their name. They had still had a lot of influence, especially the current head of the house. She challenged and killed her husband in deathly combat for the title, and she had been the sole executive power since.

The half human was surprised to learn that Lady Undine had been the one to set up Orvax, Orm's father, as the sole candidate to marry into Atlanna's family. He was then bewildered when he was told that Orvax was the son not of Undine's brother, but of her _husband's_. On the surface world, those who marry into families rarely gained that much influence, much less the power to dictate a direct line's marital connections.

Lady Undine accepted the invitation to stay in the castle for the festival, and the House Marius was escorted to their own wing, but not before the woman requested a private discussion with the king and his council.

Arthur, not knowing what she wanted, accepted and that they'd gather first thing in the morning. When Orm heard of this, he said that he was thankful Mother had already left Atlantis and would not be back for the next three days, most matters put on hold for the festival.

The first night of General Octavius’ Passing (as the celebration was named), there was a beautiful light show that filled the entire city. Thousands upon thousands of luminescent jellyfish, big and small, were released, swimming and swirling as they glowed in rainbow colors. These casters, the ones who bred and trained these jellyfish, played Atlantean instruments that made the finest waves which sang songs and stories to accompany the lights. Even from the farthest distance, you could still hear the music twinkling in your ear like stars in the night sky. People danced and sang along with the music and the jellyfish, playing games and eating. The city of Atlantis was alive, and it fell asleep with content sighs.

In the morning, Arthur held the audience with Lady Undine, who brought with her the eldest two of her grandchildren, Zeki and Udna. For the king, Mera sat at his right and Vulko and Orm to his left. It was too bad Mom wasn't here.

“The House Marius has a proposition to make, King Arthur,” Lady Undine began, her two grandchildren at both sides, “one that would bring back honor to both sides. You'll be rid of a constant shame, and the House Marius will be restored.”

Orm stiffened as Vulko frowned, keeping silent.

“I offer to you my two eldest grandchildren,” she continued, gesturing to Zeki and Udna, “to whom you would give my nephew-in-law's only son to as a groom piece. I, my daughters, and all my grandchildren are Marius through and through but in true lineage, and the sole heir sits on your council. He sits there like a stain, a reminder of failure and disgrace. This arrangement will surely strengthen the royal family's alliance with the House Marius and the retainers we oversee.”

Anger struck Arthur. An arranged marriage? Like the one his mom was forced into all those years ago? And this time for his baby brother? _Hell no._ And the way she spoke about Orm only riled him up even more because Orm was anything but—

“Your proposition needs some thinking over, Lady Undine,” Vulko said before Arthur could say something foolish. “If Prince Orm marries, Atlantis might lose a very valued advisor.”

“That will be part of the agreement,” the old woman said. “He must return to the Warrior's Grotto as the next head of the House Marius. His duty will be to his true family. It's better than letting him remain as a high official in your court, seeing as he has tried to slay our king. He's been pardoned, but he's a criminal nonetheless. His crime are not forgotten, but burdened with raising his own and his house, he will be much too busy to turn his eyes back to this glorious city. He'll be useful this way."

“You speak as if I'm not here,” Orm spoke up, his eyes narrowed darkly. “House Marius is doing fine without its name.”

“How the House Marius fares has fallen solely onto you, grand-nephew. You are Orm Marius, aren't you? It's a family's duty to fix the mistakes of its members, and my eldest grandchildren are old enough to do their part.”

“Zeki is ten years younger than me.”

“But marrying anyone else would be against the purpose of the proposal. Zeki and Udna volunteered for this, Orm, but there are certainly others to choose from, I have many grandchildren. Tula has always been your favorite.”

If looks could kill, Orm's would've slaughter the woman right there and there, his blue eyes flickering dangerously bright as a frown clenched on his face, and perhaps he would've himself if Mera didn't cut in.

“As Vulko said,” the princess spoke, “this is a matter that needs more discussion. I believe everybody needs some time to take this in, even I.”

“Of course,” Lady Undine replied with a respectful nod. “By the end of the celebration would be enough time? I believe this proposal will work itself out. Prince Orm only needs to recall his pride.”

“I have my pride,” Orm bit back. “I am in the service of the rightful king, and by doing so, I am serving Atlantis.”

The old woman was not impressed. “What pride do you have if you seem more content with that collar than you ever did with the crown?”

Ever since Arthur has become king, he'd developed a professionalism so he wasn't always saying everything he wanted while on the throne, but _Oh my fucking God, she_ **_not_ ** _just say that_. Was _this_ what dinner with extended family was like? Arthur was angry, but by then, it was too late he knew.

The silver collar around Orm's neck, Arthur had almost forgotten why he was wearing it. No one really spoke about it because no one held his crimes against him anymore, especially not Arthur. It wasn't something the king wanted to do. He wanted to have his family, and they had been doing so well, he and Orm, until this woman came and said the right thing in attempts to ruin everything they'd built up.

Like a veil, a blank rage overtook Orm's face, Vulko silently closing his eyes in frustration beside him and Mera turning away so that she could scowl without being seen.

“I'll do as my king wishes,” the youngest stated rigidly, not moving. “I will not question whatever he so chooses to do with me. I am at his disposal.”

Arthur wanted to smash his head against a rock or two. “Leave,” the king order, looking over to Lady Undine and her grandchildren, “ _now._ ”

The woman did not cower at this command as Zeki and Udna did, and they made their way out of the court. 

“O—”

“The benefits of her proposal are right,” Orm cut in, not looking at any of them. “Do as you like, King Arthur. I will not be attending tonight's celebration, I'll be in my quarters and hope not be disturbed unless it's an emergency. I am not feeling well, my apologies.”

The blond Atlantean quickly left without waiting for permission. Arthur finally let himself hit his head against something hard, the front of his throne.

“That was tense,” Vulko stated the obvious, feeling the same way no doubt. “I can't say that was unexpected from someone like Lady Undine of the House Marius, but it did come as a little bit of a surprise.” Politics was difficult.

“I gotta go talk to him,” Arthur said. “He's calling me king to my _face_.”

“You should give him a little time alone, Arthur,” Mera suggested. “Maybe wait until your mother comes back to Atlantis. She would definitely be able to soothe him.”

“But I want to soothe him _now_ ,” Arthur almost whined. “He’s going to think the worst of me. There's no way I'll marry him off, I'll break Mom's heart. Dad would never forgive me.”

“At least wait until the celebration is over. That way, you wouldn't offend Lady Undine by rejecting her almost immediately. It's best to leave him for now, he needs to think himself through.”

Vulko nodded in agreement. “He'll lash out if you try anything so soon,” the old man added. “It'll work out for the best, Arthur.”

The king let his head hit the front of his throne one last time before muttering, “ _Fine._ "

The next three days were probably one of the longest waiting time Arthur had ever had to endure. Orm was avoiding him, answering respectfully and courteously, calling him “my king” directly at him. It also didn't help that in order to avoid him, Orm had taken up pretending in being interested in Zeki and Udna, whom he was seen floating through the halls with and even the garden.

He noted that Orm hadn't smiled in a while, which was a lie because he did smile, but it was only towards that little redheaded grandchild of Lady Undine, the youngest and last of the brood. Her name was Tula, and she was an absolute pleasure to have, Arthur catching her snarky responses to her cousins and siblings at the banquet table. Only with sweet little Tula did Orm ever smiled since the meeting with Lady Undine, and Arthur was jealous though he couldn't bring himself to blame either of them.

Still, the half human couldn't help but think he'd have to start all over again with Orm. There was no way he would say yes to the proposal. That should be up to Orm to decided, and really, Arthur wanted his brother to stay. It was just that he felt like they should at least talk it out first. Communication, he learned from his dad, was important in all kinds of relationships, family or romantic. Arthur wanted to make sure that Orm knew what kind of space he filled in the court, in his heart, but he didn't know how exactly to go at that.

 

 

 

The king was relieved when his mother arrived back in court on the fifth day of the celebration, speaking with her son privately at once when she arrived, a frown on her beautiful face.

“Arthur, what has happened?" was the first thing she asked. "Orm is upset, but he wouldn't tell either me or Tom why."

"He went to the lighthouse?" Arthur caught on. He never thought Orm would go there by himself, and if he did, he never mentioned it.

"Just this week," Atlanna told him, "for the past three nights. He knocks at the door and asks to stay over. He helps with the chores and the light, but he barely says a thing. He just tells us that he wanted to get to know the surface world as much as possible. He won't tell me what's wrong."

The king heaved a watery sigh. "The House Marius arrived the first day," he explained.

"Orvax's family? They rarely come to the city."

"I really wished they didn't come at all. That Lady Undine is so stuck-up, calling Orm a failure and a disgrace! Who does she think she is? I'd throw her out of Atlantis if Vulko didn't tell me that it's a 'huge abuse of power'." 

Atlanna looked angry at that, remembering Lady Undine. "That can't be all Orm's upset about. He has thick skin, even as a child, and he's prideful. He wouldn't fall to the taunts of hags. What else did she say?" 

"She said to marry him to one of her grandchildren so that the House Marius can have its heir back. She pretty much said that Orm doesn't belong on the council and he'd do some good as a 'groom piece', whatever that means."

The queen mother's expression darkened, her blue eyes flickering just like Orm's had that day in court. Arthur was glad his brother had inherited so much from their mother, from her eyes and hair to her heart; it made the king feel so much more endearing. 

"She thinks him as property," Atlanna said. "I was considered a 'bride piece' when I was betrothed to Orvax all those years ago. The line of King Atlan fell to me, my father's only child, but I was not allowed to rule, Atlantis has always had a king. Orvax was not royalty, and so he married into my family, into the throne. All power passed me and was given directly to him, cementing his right by the birth of his heir— _my_  son. He got everything that should've been mine, had I not been so  _unfortunate_ to be born a girl."

Hearing that, about why his mother had gone through all her pains and suffering by the laws of Atlantis, Arthur wanted to tear the city apart. How could they do something like that a woman so kind and so regal, so loving and so beautiful? She should've ruled Atlantis from day one, not be put through the chaos of politics and traditions. Who knew what could've become of Atlantis, of the Seven Seas, had they gaven her the chance. 

"Arthur, don't let him go through with this, please,” Atlanna almost pleaded, placing a hand on her son's face, and the king hated that his mother thought he would. He wouldn't, Arthur wanting nothing more at this moment than break a couple things, but her worries came from a place of fear and her own experiences. 

"I won't, Mom," Arthur replied, kissing his mom on the palm, "I'll never let what happened to you happen to anyone ever again, especially not Orm. He's my brother, I have to protect him from being unhappy."

Atlanna's expression softened, and she floated up a little to kiss her eldest on the forehead, grateful and adoring. "You should go talk to him," she said. "Orm doesn't know this, he has that longing look in his eyes when he stays over at the lighthouse, as if it's could be the last time he'd ever see it. I saw it in your father when I left to return to Atlantis."

"But I don't know how," Arthur confessed. "We were better than we started out, but he went back to being stiff so fast. He won't even call my by my name anymore! That's such a dick move!" 

Atlanna smiled, chuckling a bit. "And have you forgotten how quickly he stopped when he saw me again?" she asked, recalling the battle. "Nothing had been permanent for him, he's protecting himself from showing what his father would've considered weakness. Deep down, he's still your brother, Arthur. Talk to him."

 

 

 

That night when the fifth celebration dinner ended, Atlanna went back to Maine, Orm nowhere in sight. Arthur had not noticed until that night that his brother had been excusing himself from the celebration early when he had enough of his cousins' flirting and his great-aunt's expecting looks from across the banquet table. The king had been busy entertaining his guests and becoming acquainted with them that he didn't have much to seek his brother out, though he should've. 

Arthur, asking Mera and Vulko to cover for him if anyone asked, went back with his mother, intent on speaking to finally speaking with Orm. It was late when they arrived home, but the lights were still on, Tom waiting up for Atlanna. 

It was Orm who answered the door, dressed in jeans and a shirt. They bought this particular set of clothes a month ago, and it fit him much to Tom's and Arthur's amusement. The younger man's eyes widened in surprise, not expecting his brother to be at the door with their mother, but he recovered quickly, bowing his head in respect towards the king. 

"Good evening, my king," the blond man greeted, stepping to the side. "Welcome home, Mother."

"Orm," Atlanna replied, kissing her son on the cheek, and Tom came up to her to welcome her home too.

"Are you staying the night too, Arthur?" Tom asked, giving his son a hug and parting with a  _hongi_. 

"Yeah," Arthur replied, grabbing his brother by the middle of his shirt, "but I need to talk to Orm for a bit first. Don't wait up."

Before Orm could say a thing, Arthur pulled his brother out of the house and along the beach. He didn't let go as they walked within the sight of the lighthouse, and Orm didn't make a sound to protest. 

"Okay, brother, let's have that talk now," Arthur said, pushing his brother to sit down on the sand. He sat down right beside him. "Tell me everything that's running through that head of yours. Tell me that you don't want to get married. Just talk to me."

Orm quietly say, shaking his head. "There's nothing for me to say," he replied, looking out to the sea so he didn't have to look at Arthur. "If you're concerned about the discussion with Lady Undine, be assured that I will not protest your decision."

"And I'm asking you what do you want. Forget about me being king for  _one_ second, I care about what you have to say. I hate that woman, and I'd hate it even more if you're not happy."

"My happiness has nothing to do with this."

"It has  _everything_ to do with this, Orm. Your happiness means everything to me because you're my brother. I can't help you if you don't talk to me, avoiding me like this is a problem you can ignore and live with for the rest of your life." 

"It's not a problem. It's bound to happen eventually. I can't remain in your council forever. I've been pardoned, but I'm a criminal nonetheless."

Arthur cringed, recognizing that his brother repeated that woman almost word for word. "Mistakes can be redeemed," he countered. 

"Can they if you never thought them as mistakes?" Orm asked, glancing over. "I killed the Fisherman King, started a war, and nearly killed you multiple times, all in the name of protecting Atlantis because I wasn't you, my king. I did what I did because I wasn't the rightful heir, but I was the only one who could do it, the only son of our mother who cared about our people. You didn't want to be king, I was raised to be one. It's all I know, but now I'm a criminal because I was not the victor."

The half human scoffed. "It's not about winning or losing, Orm. They'e mistakes because it's obvious that you put a lot of thought into it and regret going through with them. I saw it on your face when I told you I wanted to meet you and when Mom showed up. Just because they're the only choices we can make, it doesn't mean they're always the best. You did the best you could, and yeah, there were a few thousand casualties and you _did_ commit regicide, but you did it with good intentions. You were just never told that there were other ways to do, your dad—"

"My father has nothing to do with any of this."

"That's a lie, you said you were raised to be a king. He made you think you can't rely on anyone but yourself."

"He—"

" _He_ was the one who sent Mom to die, Orm. You didn't have anyone  _but_ him. He wasn't a good man, much less a good father. You deserved better." 

Orm growled, pushing himself to stand, and he began to stomp away. Arthur exhaled in frustration, thinking he could've done that better, but he had to do with what he'd made, following after his brother. 

"Orm, stop," he called out, reaching out to stop his brother. "Your dad—"

Orm slapped his hand away, seething angrily at Arthur, and continued, "Was all _I_ had left. He was the only one who believed I could become king because I was all he had, because I was _his_ son. Because youweren't. I had nobody else, and I was accepted king because Atlantis didn't know that Mother had another child. Everyone who did, they picked you as the rightful heir over me, every last one of them. When Mother held me as a child, she was thinking of you. Vulko pretended his loyalty was to me for _years_ while he spared every moment he could preparing you. And  _Mera._  I've held my obligations as her betrothed since we were children, but like the others, she. Chose.  _You_."

"That's not true, Orm," Arthur tried to argue. "Mom loves you just as much as she loves me."

"But she  _yearned_ for you. She never said she'd come back from me, just that I should stay strong, but she said she'd come back for your father, didn't she? She never wanted to come back to Atlantis, she didn't want to have me."

A fury overtook the elder, grabbing at his brother and pushing him onto the sandy shore, and Arthur couldn't resist the urge to punch Orm in the face, giving the younger a split lip. He shouted out in anger because he couldn't believe his brother thought so little of their mother, so little of  _himself_. 

Orm, a strong fighter and prideful man, punched back, and they fought, trying to over take the other. Neither of them thought about blocking the other's hit as they just needed to hit something, so why not who was already hitting you? 

Soon, their sandy struggle reached to the waves, breathing two different kind of air as they fought for dominance. Arthur, being the older one, finally managed to pin Orm down, one hand holding his brother by his shirt and the other raised up in a fist ready to land another hit had it not been for the red in his blue eyes. They were threatening to crumble.

" _Do it,_ " Orm dared, smirking ugly, "I'm getting used to being beaten. Put me in my place, my king."

Arthur let out another shout of anger, punching the sand beside his brother's face, and hanging his head over Orm, golden blue eyes caught hold of blue ones. 

"Meeting you was the one thing I wanted most in the whole world," he said, choking on his misplaced guilt. "When Vulko told me about you, I thought for the first time that I wasn't alone. Learning about you gave me more reasons to get better, to get stronger, because I wanted the family that I never got to have.

"Mom left to protect me and Dad, and she made me a big brother. You're your dad's son, but you're Mom's too. I'm supposed to protect you, take care of you, but I never got the chance because it was  _stolen_ from me. It's not right that we didn't get to grow up with Mom, that we didn't get to grow up together. We were going to play video games together, and I was going to make sure nobody picked on my scrawny—"

"—I'm not  _scrawny_ —"

"— _scrawny_ baby brother. I was supposed to be _there_. For you. _With_ you. It was supposed to be you and me versus the world, but how fucked up was it that it was you pitted against me? How do you think that made  _me_ feel? I was supposed to protect you from getting hurt, but your entire life, you think you're not good enough, that nobody loved you for you. Well, the next time you say Mom doesn't, I'll give you the ass-whooping of your life because she was going to come back for you, for all of us! She _never_ forgot you. Remembering me, Dad, you, was how she kept herself from losing it while in the Trench all those years. She said she engraved every memory into her soul, she thought about us every day she was there.

"Vulko cares, he did what he could even when your dad didn't let him near you. He did the best he could to steer you away from being a complete dick like your dad, he's the one who told me about Sappho and Seamourn. He knows you just as much as he knows me. He found you in that closet, didn't he? And  _Mera_. She wanted to be friends with you again. You grew up together, learned from Mom. You were supposed to be close because you were friends, not because you were going to get married. There's no more obligations, but she decided she wanted to be friends again because she cares too.

" _I_ care, you bag of dicks. I love you, baby brother, always have."

Arthur shed a tear, unable to remember the last time he'd lost control of his emotions like this, not even when the other kids made fun of him for not having a mom. The hurt was always converted into anger, and he punched everyone who'd try once he learned how to fight. When he got older and stronger, people learned to shut up and left him alone.

He could only guessed it was because he knew Mom never stopped loving him. He thought she did once, but Dad always had the most sincere look in his eyes when he told Arthur that she did, knowing even when she wasn't there. His dad wouldn't lie to him, not while showing so much of his own love so clearly on his face. 

"I don't believe you," Orm said too softly, breaking Arthur's thought, and from his own eyes, he shed a tear too. "Why would you? Why would anyone? I'm not the one people want, not the one people love. I'm not  _worthy_ of love, my king, but I'm far too dignified to accept your pity. Just stop talking and let me disappear, it's less hurtful that way."

A tide washed over where they were, the sea washing over a felled Orm, washing away his tears. Arthur lifted him up, removing his hand from his brother's shirt to wrapped his arms around him. Orm's arms laid by his side, but he was trembling. 

"That's not true, Orm," Arthur replied, crying even more. "You've been loved since the day you were born, I'd never lie to you about that. Just because it's less painful, you can't ignore that it still hurts, that it doesn't rip a hole in your heart every time. You deserve so much more, you deserve to be happy, brother. I'm so sorry you spent all this time thinking this about yourself, I should've been there. I would've. I will always love you, and I'll tell keep telling you until you believe and even after that because it's true."

" _Lies._ "

"They're not. I love you, Orm, and I always will. Just believe me, just this once. There's nothing else I want most in this world right now. Please, baby brother."

They fell into a silence when Orm didn't reply, instead raising his arms to place his hands on Arthur's back and pressing his face against his brother's shoulder. His tremors quickened, and then he said, "Where were were you? Why weren't you there? Didn't you want to meet me? Didn't you know how lonely I was? Did you hate me?"

Arthur's heart clenched. "No, never," he replied before pulling Orm gently by the back of his head, long yellow locks between his fingers. He tapped their foreheads together, pressing their noses, and with his other hand, he wiped away a tear from his brother's face. "I never hated you, you're my brother."  

And a hand left his back to the back of his head, rough fingers clutching at his hair, pressing them even more together. Orm looked at his brother with bright blue eyes, shining with unusual youth as tears kept streaming down his face. 

Arthur smiled, a weight lifted off his shoulders. "Tell me what you want, Orm," he said, "tell me." 

Orm choked out a sob. "Please don't make me go," he replied. "Don't throw me away. Atlantis is my only home, you and Mother are all I have. Arthur, I want to stay."

"And you will. Everything will be alright. We'll be okay."

They stayed in the tide for a while, the moon illuminating the water washing over them. They didn't speak much after that until they both had finally settled their tears and sobs, leaning closely together even as they parted. They were tired and began to head back to the lighthouse without say a word.

The lights were still on, and before they knocked, Arthur took a hold of the silver collar around Orm's neck and broke it into two, inciting a gasp from the younger. 

"I've always hated this," Arthur said before throwing the pieces into the sea. "Stay, go, it's your choice. You can fix your mistake without being consistently shamed, here's your second chance with a blank slate. Just know I'll always come for you."

Orm held a hand to his bare neck, and then he smiled, letting out a laugh. "Let's go home, Arthur," he said, his blue eyes fluttering. 

That night, that had a really late dinner. Atlanna didn't ask them about what they did while they were gone, but she had a knowing look on her face. Arthur didn't have time to tell his dad anything, but Tom was happy because his family was happy. The man could tell, he could feel it in his blood. 

 

 

 

The next morning, the two brothers left for Atlantis, a kiss from their mother and surprisingly a hug from Tom to the both of them. "Come back soon, you two," the old man said with kind eyes. 

When they arrived back, Vulko greeted back first, raising an eyebrow but not saying a word. Even Mera kept quiet, and everyone else did as well, seeing that Orm had somehow returned to being the prince they were fond of, a man not worried about looking around the corner wherever he went but heading straight on with a prideful stance. Baptiste accompanied him, following behind with confidence. 

That morning, Orm refused the company of his eldest cousins and sought out his youngest cousin. Before that night's celebration, Orm introduced her to his brother. 

"Arthur, this is Tula," the prince said, holding the redheaded child's hand. She hid behind her cousin in awe of personally meeting the king. "Tula, this is my brother, Arthur."

"It's nice to meet you, Tula," Arthur enthusiastically said, leaning down a bit see her better. He smiled at her, hoping she'd stop hiding. 

"It's an honor to meet you, my king," the girl replied, bowing.

"You can call me Arthur."

"That would be inappropriate, my king."

The half human rolled his eyes, having heard that kind of response before. "King Arthur is fine," he said, not pushing the girl as he did Orm. 

Tula smiled. "Yes, King Arthur." 

Arthur felt a little proud of himself for that. "Would you like to join us at the table tonight, Tula?" he asked. "You can sit next to Orm."

The girl perked up, too excited to hide behind her cousin. "May I, King Arthur?" she asked. "Zeki and Udna had been stealing Orm, and Grandmother forbid me from interrupting. Yes, King Arthur, please let me join you and Orm!"

"You could interrupt me anytime, Tula," Orm said, frowning at the mention of Lady Undine. "You'll sit with me tonight."

"May I sit with Princess Y'Mera as well, Orm? She's so lovely, and her hair's red like mine."

"I'll see what I can do. She would love to meet you."

Tula let out an excited squeak, shooting up into the water and rushing around because she couldn't really contain herself. 

"Cute kid," Arthur commented, keeping his eyes on her.

Orm nodded in agreement. 

And somehow, the celebration quickly slipped away faster than it did the night before, the sixth night turning into the last night. It had been a hectic week, and Arthur was ready to not see at least ninety percent of the high-borns he'd met. He'd rather go back to discussing the economy and social work, he wanted to go back to taking care of his people and learning about them. There was only so much celebrating you could do before it got a little tiring. 

In addition, Arthur wanted to send Lady Undine home already, and boy, was he happy for the day after the last celebratory night to come. The irony was that he didn't get a word in that assemble. 

"Lady Undine," Orm addressed, "your proposal has been refused. I will not marry any of your grandchildren, nor will I return to the Warrior's Grotto. I will remain on the king's counsel, and he's consenting."

"Do you not care for the House Marius, Prince Orm?" Lady Undine asked, black eyes narrowed in disapproval. "Your father's house will fall because of you."

"How House Marius fares is up to me. It remains standing as long as I am. There's nothing to worry about."

"And the rest of the council will pass this up? The House Marius has done so much for the royal line of Atlantis, and we wish to continue to do so but you are leaving us weak."

"The council," Vulko said, "has unanimously agreed that your proposal is not in the best interest of Atlantis, much less King Arthur's plans to bring a new age to our people."

"However, King Arthur and his court do want to continue their alliance with the House Marius," Mera jumped in. "This is the best time to speak of the plans to create a school to train and teach young gifted Atlanteans, and it is with great pleasure that amongst the first to be invited to attend would be your granddaughter Tula. She has demonstrated a great affiliation with hydrokinesis, and I would be honored to be her teacher." 

"And does the king approve of all of this?" 

Arthur, everything that needed it be said had been said and been told he needed to reign in his mouth, simply nodded his head. They really were planning a school that taught the future generations of Atlanteans about the surface world and eventually share that world with them. He'd love for Tula to attend. 

Lady Undine's expression grew grim, her lips thinned in fuming silence. She clasped her hands at her waist and lifted her chin up. "I see," she said, "then my family and I will take our leave of Atlantis. It seems that there is no more reason for us to be here anymore, now that our king is safe and secure. Farewell, may you be well for the next seven years." 

Arthur allowed her to leave without being dismissed, relieved that she wasn't going to be around anymore. Never inviting her to any party, ever. 

"Come, Arthur," Vulko suddenly said, getting up. "We have to continue your study of the old texts. You can't update the laws if you can't read them."

"Do I really have to, like, right now?" Arthur complained, but he got up too. "I kinda want to go get a beer instead."

"We have the finest wines in the cellar. Take your pick." 

"You're an old fart, Vulko."

"And you're juvenile, Arthur."

Mera laughed. "It's not so bad," she said. "Be done by dusk and we'll watch the sun set together."

"But if we go to where the time zone is half a day ahead, we can do it  _now_."

"Excuses," Orm said, though he was hiding a smile. Arthur noticed that his hair, grown past his shoulder blades now, were braided today. "You need to catch up with the rest of us, so stop acting like a child."

Arthur looked at his brother, staring him straight in the eyes, and said, " _Bitch_." Then he tackled Orm, laughing like a maniac because he was going to fuck up his brother's morning. 

 

 

 

Yeah, everything was going alright. 

**Author's Note:**

> I want Orm to stay, you guys, and I want Arthur to be happy. I stan a royal family. 
> 
> And I might add one or two side stories to this work because I really like the movie-verse. Keep an eye out, you guy! ^^ 
> 
> If you like my work(s), please check out [my Twitter](https://twitter.com/kappachyun?s=09).


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